


The Scientist's Soul

by Melanctha



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, minor spoilers up till Perseus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-10-25 18:20:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20728682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melanctha/pseuds/Melanctha
Summary: Senku's soul belonged to Science.Science was a demanding master.  It could be unforgiving and even deadly.However, it was never illogical.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Set during the year they're building Perseus.

Senku's soul belonged to Science.

Science was a demanding master. It could be unforgiving and even deadly.

However, it was never illogical.

Relationships with other humans, on the other hand, followed no laws, had no patterns. Humans were unpredictable, unreliable and annoying. Of course, Senku knew that evolutionarily, humans were a social species. The history of Science was that of people trying to help others and themselves. In order to survive the harsh elements, early man relied on each other to build civilization. And thus it had been the case for all of human history.

Still, he preferred to keep his close relationships to a bare minimum. Growing up, his close relations were really only his father and his two childhood friends, Taiju and Yuzuriha. Everyone else had always fallen into the periphery.

The notion of romantic love always made him cringe. As part of his self-assigned “study of everything”, he had learned about the body’s manifestations of sexual attraction and so-called romantic love. Thankfully, despite any radical changes puberty had enacted upon him, he had managed to maintain his sanity. His own sympathetic nervous system seemed immune---he never experienced the tachycardia, sweating, or abdominal discomfort that came with encountering a “crush”. He didn’t daydream or imagine himself swooning or confessing under a schoolyard tree. The only endorphin rushes he felt were the comingled fear and excitement of scientific discovery.

That said, his body was still human, and his hormones did occasionally stir up some nascent sexual instincts. After some experimentation, he figured out that the kick of dopamine and serotonin that accompanied orgasm helped clear his head. He didn't have a particular person in mind when he touched himself. He only did it because after a quick nap, he could resume studying twice as effectively. At one time, he researched whether pornography would improve his productivity. To discern his preferences he tried a variety of sources. From the ridiculous overacting in pornographic vids to the unrealistic body proportions in 2-D hentai, and the from the grammatically atrocious annals of fanfiction to the farthest reaches of kink subcultures, he conducted a thorough review.

The results were fantastically underwhelming.

So, with a yawn, he archived that branch of research and just settled with jerking off with some lube and a tissue. It was crude yet effective; no need for further analysis.

Yes, he had not even one millimeter interest in fooling around with the messiness of romance.

That is how Ishigami Senku lived over a decade and a half of his life. But the scientist would find that the fruits of his prior research and observation were about to be called into question when he met a certain calculating mentalist, more than 3700 years later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of the inspiration for this chapter came from this post!  

> 
> <https://thesublimeiseverywhere.tumblr.com/post/187753685641/tarot-gen-cards-a-conspiracy-theory-and-hcs>  


The first piece of data to contradict Senku’s theories was a slight alteration in his ability to focus. His thoughts started wandering—specifically, wandering and settling over Gen. Whether it was reviewing a conversation they’d had, or just speculating where the former stage performer was at that moment, these thoughts came randomly, unbidden and at the most inconvenient times. They lasted only seconds, but the fact that they occurred at all was disturbing. This had _never_ happened to him before. Granted, Senku was always thinking of ten things at once, so it didn’t slow him down in any significant way. But the mere fact that his mind, the software to the hardware that was his body, was experiencing any sort of glitch…was deeply unsettling.

The chief of Ishigami Village was sitting in his lab pouring over some blueprints, when he was interrupted by a familiar sing song voice.

"Oh Senku-chaaaan!”

Senku didn’t look up but out of his peripheral vision he saw the voice's owner slip through the door.

"I have a small favor, ” said Gen, casually strolling up to the desk, “Hear me out?"

Senku didn’t reply, but he also didn’t say no.

Gen continued, "I need just one thing--a deck of cards. It doesn't have to be fancy, though, I won't complain if it is."

Senku looked up at the other man, raising an eyebrow. A mixture of incredulity, boredom and slight condescension painted his face. "How is that even one millimeter useful?" he drawled.

"Oh don't be like that Senku-chan," the other man pretended to pout, hands on hips thrown askance and head tilted slightly. Senku was about to return to his blueprints when suddenly, and all-too-quickly, that person's face was only centimeters from Senku's own. Senku stared at the man’s lips as they curled into a crooked smile. Like honey, a voice trickled from those lips, "Just trust me, okay?"

A surge of heat leapt to Senku’s face and he was suddenly extremely interested in a small, previously boring detail of his blueprints. It was so small, that he had to abruptly yank his face away from that man’s face and his sinful lips—yes as far away as possible.

"Ahem, " Senku cleared his throat, "Well, I guess that _is_ your area of expertise. I'll ask around to see if someone can do it."

"Thank you, Senku-chan!” Gen replied giddily, already skipping out the door, his purple robes flowing behind him.

Senku was alone with a relentless pounding of blood in his ears and enough heat radiating from his face he swore it could’ve been a hot plate from his old lab.

What the hell was that?

****************************************************

Despite being swamped with other work, Senku dropped everything for this "let's see if someone else can do it" request. It became unexpectedly time consuming. He wanted a unique design--- something that matched Gen's aesthetic and maybe had a little Kingdom of Science twist. And upon closer inspection, the currently available materials needed to be tweaked too. The paper needed to be slightly stiffer and a semi-waterproof coating would be ideal. As he played with different paper making techniques and sketched little designs with the recently revived mangaka, Senku ignored the voice in his head telling him he was wasting time on this stupid favor. It was just….he wanted it to be nice, better than nice, he wanted it to be _worthy_. After all, if this deck was part of the arsenal in the Kingdom of Science, then it should be good, right? And besides, Gen hadn't asked him for anything since that bottle of Cola. After the Mentalist had orchestrated construction of an entire observatory for him, Senku had never been able to think of a commensurate gift (not for lack of trying but how the hell did someone measure up to that?).

After three days of obsessive compulsive work, Senku was relieved when the cards were finished. But Senku wasn’t the kind of guy to give gifts in person. That was too corny, definitely gross. The deck ended up tied neatly in a string on Gen’s pillow (along with a report explaining the different theories written on the cards).

****************************************************

The second unraveled string in the fabric of his completely relationship-free life theory came in the form of a new unidentifiable emotion he felt whenever he saw the Mentalist and his "fan club". As it turned out, Gen wasn't joking when he said that reviving the petrified populace would allow him a small harem. It was comprised of young women many of who were Gen's fans before the petrification. They were harmless enough, following Gen around whenever they could get a free moment from their assigned projects. Despite all his talk about harems and self-gain, Gen didn't seem to pay them much attention. He was polite but the most he would ever do was try to get them to help with whatever chore he himself was assigned ("please help! no more tewible batteries!"). For whatever reason, the sight of them trailing behind him like lovesick puppies made his chest tighten. Senku was quick to dismiss or tease other people’s romances, but it never actually bothered him. So, Senku didn't understand why this stupid fan club annoyed him. The work was getting done, wasn’t it? Who the Mentalist hung out with or talked to, or liked, or kissed or…any of that stuff, it had nothing to do with him! And the fact that he didn’t understand it, pissed him off even more.

****************************************************

The last piece of the puzzle was when he woke up one morning panting covered in the sticky aftermath of an extremely vivid dream. After hurriedly washing up, he tried to go about the rest of his morning. But no matter what he did, unwelcome remnants of the dream kept floating amongst thoughts. Finally, in an attempt to get some clarity of mind, Senku slipped away to a quiet part of the forest, far from the village. He sat with his back up against a tree and pushed a calloused hand down the front of his robes. Closing his eyes, he let his memories resurface. It was a blur of heat, delicious friction, and dizzying exhilaration; fervent touches skipping over sweaty bodies; hitched breaths and soft moans; the half-lidded gaze of dark blue irises. His breathing became ragged--he was an elastic band under maximum tension--when would he snap? Throwing his head back, he let out a strangled yell as his entire body violently shuddered. Sticky warmth covered his hands and dripped onto the forest. Still breathing hard, he sat there a few minutes, coming down slowly, and waited for the completely fried motherboard in his brain to reboot. But, as all processes came back online, and the motors started to whir, a horrifying realization started to click into place.

Fuck.

He had a crush.


	3. Chapter 3

That evening, Senku laid in bed staring up at the sky from the observatory. This was not an infrequent thought, but he was once again grateful he wasn’t an idiot.

An idiot, (for example, Taiju), would have had a complete meltdown after suddenly coming to this conclusion. But not him, nope, he was ten billion percent still in control. Okay, admittedly, for 20 seconds he panicked. But he was quickly back to analyzing his situation. The situation wasn’t really _that_ crazy. It was fairly commonplace, even! A teenage boy having a crush on an attractive and intelligent friend was a mundane psychosocial/biological event. It would be a waste of energy to try to continue being in denial, so he wouldn’t. Accepting the situation would allow him to plan accordingly—what he would and would not do.

He would not go drag Gen out to some tree and confess like a love-struck fool.

He would not go sighing and crying into a friend’s shoulder, like a damsel in distress.

He would not fish for clues about who Gen found attractive, scheming to get him to like him.

He would do absolutely nothing.

Senku hoped that these illogical feelings were just another fleeting hormonal trick of the adolescent body. Eventually they may self-resolve and he could go back to normal. And then he could carry his secret to the GRAVE.

Senku smirked, thinking about his plan. Yes, everything would be---

“Senku-chaaan~”

Senku yelped in surprised.

“Senku-chan, are you awake?” Gen voice floated from the entranceway.

It was dark, but Senku could just make out the stage performer’s two-toned hairstyle as he popped up from the ladder. When did Gen sneak up here? Senku could usually tell when the Mentalist was nearby.

“I am now,” the Scientist sighed.

“Sorry, sorry,” the other man chuckled softy, “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“Wait!” Senku blurted, to his own surprise, “I wasn’t asleep yet. What is it?”

“Well…” Gen said as he clambered the rest of the way into the observatory. He seemed strangely subdued. _“_I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I heard you weren’t feeling well today.”

Shit. He did say something like that. Kohaku had asked why he looked so pale after coming back from the forest so he made up a dumb excuse.

“Oh, uh, yeah. I’m feeling better, thanks,” Senku lamely replied, sitting himself up.

Suddenly Gen was all-too-close again, blue eyes narrowed skeptically beneath his white and black fringe. He placed one slender palm onto Senku’s forehead and the other on his own for comparison. Senku shivered from the unexpected contact. Gen’s fingers were cool and despite the illness being a lie Senku suddenly felt very warm. He resisted the urge to lean in.

“Hmm,” Gen said after a few seconds and pulling away, “I guess you don’t have a fever. But you do look kind of off. How long have you felt this way?”

“Huh?” Senku took a moment to refocus, the simple touch still hazing his mind, “Umm, just today, I guess.”

Gen frowned at the other man’s uncharacteristic faltering. He took a moment to scan him up and down. Finally he sighed, “You know I can tell when you’re lying right? I’m a Mentalist--- that’s _my_ area of expertise.”

Senku opened his mouth to protest but the other man continued, “Don’t worry-- It’s alright. You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong.” The Mentalist began to walk over to where Senku was sitting in the bed. “But I can tell you don’t feel well. And since you’re too stubborn for ask for help, I’m staying here.”

Before Senku could stop him, the other man had already shed his purple robe and wriggled under the covers.

“WHAT?” Senku yelped, “No, get out of here, you have your own hut! I said, I’m fine!”

By this time, Gen was now completely snuggled under the blankets.

“And yet, I still don’t believe you.”

“You…!”

_ Knock, knock, knock!_ Suddenly they heard a rapping from beneath the floor panels.

“Hey!” Chrome’s muffled voice from downstairs said. “It’s kinda late. Can y’all quiet down?”

“See?” Gen laughed softly, mischievous gleam in his eyes, “It’s past your bedtime, Senku-chan. Now listen to Mother Chrome and go to sleep.”

“This is stupid!” Senku stage whispered.

Gen’s smile widened and he draped himself dramatically over Senku.

“ Senku-chan,” he sang out. “A chief should listen to his advisers.”

“Aghh, get off! At least stay on your side!”

“Fine, fine,” the flamboyant performer pouted, moving slightly over in the bed.

Senku stared at him a moment. Finally he let out a huff of defeat, lying back down. He knew Gen was teasing him. But, damn, if Gen kept wriggling around so much, he dreaded what tricks his rebellious body might pull. If he woke up tomorrow morning in the same state as he had _this_ morning—he shuddered and tried to banish the thought.

After several minutes of silence, Senku assumed the other boy had fallen asleep. He was surprised when he heard the performer’s voice again, this time much softer.

“You know, Senku-chan, it’s okay to depend on us sometimes.”

Senku turned his head left to look at Gen. He was lying on his back, looking up at the night sky, dark blue irises faintly reflecting the starlight. Senku’s breath caught.

“I know you feel responsible for all of us. And we all really appreciate it. But.. I want you to feel like you can lean on us---on me--- too. So if you’re not feeling well, or you need help, or you’re worried about something, can you tell me?”

Senku listened to the other man’s subdued voice, wondering what he could’ve done to make him sound so damn sad. 

“Yeah, I know,” Senku said uncomfortably, “But don’t I do that already? Whenever there’s a problem in the Kingdom of Science, I always tell you first, you know.”

“No, not that!” the other boy sighed, a hint of annoyance. “I mean,” his voice softened, “I’m glad you tell me about all of those things too. But, like…don’t you have your own problems? Like, if you’re sick, right? You can tell me if you’re not feeling well.” Gen paused, he face was still turned to the sky, not making eye contact. Then he turned his head to look at him.

“ We all depend on you so much. I just want you to know… you can depend on me too.”

“Oh…”

After a moment, Gen turned his head to look back up at the sky and Senku realized he must have been staring. He blinked and turned to look back up as well.

They were quiet a long while after that. Senku’s last thoughts, before drifting off to sleep, were of the echoes of billion-years-old light reflecting off the surface of those eyes.

****************************************************

Even though Senku clearly did not have a cold, Gen continued to sleep over in the observatory. He didn’t bother explaining himself, either. When Senku came back from the lab late the second night, he found Gen curled up in the bed already asleep. Technically, Senku had been given a proper hut a while ago but Senku had always opted to sleep in the observatory since it was more conveniently placed. He could use the telescope whenever he wanted and it was closer to the lab.

Unfortunately, Gen was far from a peaceful bed-mate. He moved a ton in his sleep, flailing his arms and kicking his legs. More than few times Senku woke up to a kick in the ribs or slap from a wayward arm. Gen apologized, saying that it was because he was a restless sleeper normally, but it was worse when he was in a new place.

Senku wouldn’t have minded as much but the Mentalist also talked. He usually spoke in his native tongue, Japanese, but sometimes Senku heard him mumbling in different languages. It wasn’t too surprising. Gen had been a world-famous performer, after all. He had traveled through multiple countries for shows. Half of his sleep-talking was clearly audible, but the other half was mumbled.

From what Senku could hear, he figured most of his dreams were about back then…before the petrification_. What was his life like, back then? _Senku wondered, idly. Gen had talked about his career a little bit, but didn’t talk about much else. Senku realized he didn’t know much about Gen’s family or friends. The boy was only a couple years older than him but he was already a professional. Why? How? What teenager randomly decides to take up mentalism?

Thankfully, despite such close proximity, Senku managed to avoid repeating the embarrassing situation which started the whole predicament. He had woken up hard a couple of times, but he wasn’t covered in cum like he had been that first day. And his clothing was fairly loose so it wasn’t that obvious if he got out of bed. And a lot of the time he got up before Gen anyways. Senku still took discreet trips to the forest to help relieve some of the tension. He hoped that might prevent being in the awkward situation of waking up face-to-face with the person he had just fantasized about in his sleep.

After about a week of Gen sleeping over, Senku woke up to the sound of his name in the middle of the night.

“Senku-chan…”

Senku blinked sleepily. Judging by the position of the stars, it was probably only 2 or 3 in the morning.

“Senku-chan…”

“Huh? What’s wrong?” Senku yawned.

"Mmm…”

"What?” Senku turned his head and was surprised to find the Mentalist was still sleeping. Eyes closed, his brow was knit into an expression of ….worry? A nightmare? Impulsively, Senku reached out a hand to the other man’s cheek. The furrows relaxed.

“Hmm, Senku-chan,”

Senku absent-mindedly carded his fingers through the black and white hair. He spent a few minutes watching the other man sleep. The older boy was gorgeous, really. It was no wonder he had a crush. A ton of other people did too. It was nothing unusual, totally normal, yep. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden moan from the sleeping person. Senku froze.

“_Mmm, yes_ ”

Senku stared at the other boy. Gen was definitely still asleep, but his face seemed a little flushed.

_ “Senku-chan, please, I want…”_

“Hey, what--” Senku started out loud, getting nervous.

But the fitful sleeper was mumbling again and rolled to his side, back turned to Senku. The confused Scientist leaned over the other man, trying to catch what he was saying. But to no avail, he’d stopped talking already. Probably he had entered a different part of the sleep cycle. He might not talk much more until the next REM stage. Senku sighed and rolled back over to his side of the bed.

  
Was that actually what he thought it was?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some end notes with terminology clarifications.

Senku tapped the pencil impatiently over his latest project notes. He was getting nowhere in these calculations. His mind was definitely too distracted.

Never in a million years had he considered that Gen might actually like him back. It still didn’t seem possible. Gen could be hard to understand but Senku had long ago realized that everything the former stage performer did was carefully thought out. If he was being frivolous one moment, cold the next, this was a calculated and conscientious decision. He did whatever was most effective to manipulate the situation to his advantage. This cold and logical side of Gen was something Senku appreciated about him. They may not fully understand each other’s respective fields, but they both understood one thing: there was no place for feelings in strategy. In the end, results were what mattered. And if that meant they were going to Hell, so be it. So what the heck was Gen doing _moaning_ Senku’s name in his sleep?

Senku stopped tapping the pencil and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Could Gen really like him? And if he did, what the HELL was Senku supposed to do with that?

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. Chrome, who was standing at a nearby table with several Erlenmeyer flasks and a Bunsen burner, looked up from his notes.

“What’s up, dude?”

“Nothing. I’m just tired. That damn Mentalist is crazy. He kicks and moves all over the place and he talks in his sleep.” Senku’s leg was propped on the table now, chair tilted back casually.

“Really? Huh, y’all don’t both just fall asleep after having sex?”

Senku fell out of the chair.

“W-what??”

Chrome turned off the Bunsen burner, walking over to where the Scientist had so gracefully crashed. 

“Well, I dunno, I thought sex was supposed to make you tired, right? Er… I guess I wouldn’t know but…” Chrome held out a hand but Senku had already leapt back up.

“AND WHY THE _HELL_ WOULD I?” Senku cried.

“Uh, cuz you’re dating?” the former sorcerer said, raising a brow. Suddenly, his eyes widened with realization. “Ohhh. Sorry, I guess I’m being rude,” Chrome apologized sheepishly. “It’s cool if y’all are taking your time. Not taking things too fast---”

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WE’RE _NOT_ DATING!”

Chrome paused, “Huh? You’re not? _Really_?”

Senku just stood and glared at Chrome. He knew Chrome was intelligent but it was times like these that made him really wonder. Finally he took a deep breath, regaining some semblance of calm. “Yes _really_,” he said, “Why do you even think that? Who says we’re dating?”

“Err… everyone? I mean I guess we all just kind of assumed? And then y’all just moved in together this week so---”

“What?! NO!” Senku interjected. This couldn’t be more horrifying.

“We’re not even dating, much less living together! He just invited himself over.”

At that moment Taiju chose to come bounding into the scene.

“Good morning science team! I have a quick question!” Taiju said, cheerily.

Senku spun upon Taiju, fire in his eyes, “First you answer mine. How long have you known me? Huh? Have I _ever_ been the kind of love-struck idiot to be in something as illogical and troublesome as a relationship?”

“Huh?” Taiju paused a moment, taken aback by the sudden question, “Well yeah, you were never interested in that stuff at all.”

Senku sighed. At least Taiju hadn’t gone crazy too.

“But that’s why I’m so glad you finally found someone! Yuzuriha and I think you and Gen make a cute coup…..”

“Why you, I ought to…!”

Senku’s thought was cut short though when a familiar melon-ball sped into the lab. Suika popped out of her helmet, and started rambling in a panic “Quick everyone! You need to get to the shipyard! There’s been an accident. Gen’s was there and…”

Before Suika could finish the entire story Senku had grabbed the first aid kit and sprinted out the door. There would be time to hear the rest of the story later once he assessed the situation with his own eyes. The rest of the gang followed close behind.

Luckily the shipyard wasn’t that far away. They arrived to find a small crowd of people gathered around where a large wooden beam had crashed to the ground. It had already been moved to the side but everyone was rushing around since the other structures were at risk now as well. Ryusui and Kaseki were on the scene giving directions to people on how to stabilize everything. Senku rapidly scanned the crowd and sighed with relief when he saw Gen sitting to the side, dirtied and in obvious pain, but sitting up, awake, and breathing. Kohaku was at his side starting a rudimentary assessment. Senku wove his way through the crowd to kneel next to them.

“Ah, good morning Senku-chan,” said Gen, attempting a weak smile but clearly still wincing in pain.

For some reason Senku couldn’t bring himself to look the Mentalist in the eye. He ignored the greeting for now, opting to focus on the task at hand.

“Kohaku, what happened?” he asked, voice low but calm.

“One of the ropes for the beams was frayed,” Kohaku explained, “Some of the children were delivering lunch to everyone. Gen pushed a child out of the way but he got caught underneath it.”

Francois was already setting up a privacy screen around them so they could complete the physical exam. Senku didn’t bother asking how or why they had this.

“Did you hit your head?” Senku asked.

The injured man shook his head “no” as Chrome handed Senku one of the “portable” flashlights (in reality it was the size of a backpack since it had to be carried with the battery). He directed the light into each of Gen’s pupils. Good, they were normal. Overall, the neurological exam seemed intact.

They undressed the injured man to assess for further injury. His abdomen was non-tender without overlying skin discoloration that would have been suggestive of possible internal bleeding. The long bones in the extremities did not have any deformities but there was significant point tenderness about 2/3rds of the way down the lower right tibia. His hip exam was normal---unlikely for there to be any pelvic fractures. But when assisted to stand, Gen couldn’t bear on his right leg at all. Yep, it was probably a non-displaced tibial fracture. He couldn’t be sure of the state of the underlying bone or how many pieces it was in, but for now it seemed stable. Overall, his injuries could have been much worse.

After the head-to-toe exam, they splinted his leg and put Gen on a stretcher so Taiju and Kinrou could carry him back to Gen’s hut. The rest of the group also came, but after helping getting him settled in, they left Gen alone with Senku so he could rest. Chrome was given instructions on making plaster and Yuzuriha was tasked with making strips of cloth so that they could make a cast later on. It would take several hours at least though for it to be ready.

Finally things had quieted down. Gen was lying down with Senku was seated next to him preparing an analgesic.

“Sorry,” Gen was the first to talk.

Senku didn’t reply immediately, staring down at the mortar and pestle.

“You’re extremely lucky you know,” he finally said.

“I know.” Gen said quietly.

“Our medical capabilities are still very limited. Resetting a severely misaligned bone is near impossible here. Or if your leg had been crushed completely, you could lose it. We don’t have the secret to petrification yet, you know.”

“I know.”

“Or if you had hit your head and had a brain bleed you’d have been good as dead. ”

“I know.”

“OK, then, if you know all of this, why’d you go do something so stupid?” Senku snapped, putting the tools down and finally looked up the dejected young man, “You’re not like one of the Power Team gorilla members. You get your ass squashed by a frickin’ wooden beam and it’d be game-over. No extra lives. That’d be it.”

Gen was lying on the blankets on the ground that served as his bed. He had the back of his forearm covering his eyes but Senku could still see his mouth twisted into a grimace.

“You’re right about all of these things,” Gen admitted quietly.

“You’re supposed to be looking out for only yourself, that’s what you said, right? What are you doing almost dying for someone else for?” Despite himself, Senku could hear his voice was wavering.

Gen pulled his arm off his face, and finally looked back at Senku.

He smiled gently, and replied “Huh, who knows? Gross right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't help throw in some medical jargon. I think Senku knows some rudimentary medical physical exam skills. I mean, if he can make antibiotics, listen to Ruri's lungs with a cup, and even perform freaking lung surgery, then why the hell not.
> 
> FRACTURES: Just for clarity, a fracture is the exact same a "broken". Many people don't actually realize this for some reason. Fracture doesn't mean less broken bone. Fracture= broken period. What most people seem to confuse it with is "hairline fracture" which still means broken, but is a thin fracture
> 
> CRUSH INJURY: Also, there is such a thing as a "crush" injury. Given what happened, its possible that his leg could've sustained a crush injury, which would be fairly devastating in the stone world. But...I'm just going to use literary license and say it didn't. 
> 
> PUPILS: And finally, checking the pupils is part of the neurological exam to check for abnormal pressure in the brain compressing the nerves. If you hit your head and you have abnormal pupils, that's a huge red flag for intracranial bleed. If there's anything else that doesn't make sense, tell me! I can try to clarify it in the story or in the notes.


	5. Chapter 5

Several days after the accident found Gen fairly functional. After the cast was applied, immobilization and keeping weight off reduced the pain considerably. He was slightly less nimble, but he could get around fairly well with crutches. Climbing up the ladder to the observatory was just a little challenging. So since that day, Senku quietly started to stay over at Gen’s hut instead. They hadn’t discussed the arrangement at all but Gen didn’t protest. Admittedly, the injured boy didn’t need much help. Senku helped with little tasks in the morning and the evening before bed, but more than anything they just spent time in the same space. Business as usual continued in Ishigami village.

A couple weeks later, Senku was still staying over at the Mentalist’s place. By that time, Senku had heard Gen’s sleep talking plenty of times, but nothing nearly as…_suggestive_ as that previous night. Maybe he had misinterpreted something? After all, if he couldn’t reproduce the data, then it remained an unreliable outlier; the hypothesis was unsupported. Most likely, Gen did _not_ think of Senku in that way. Most likely, Senku had let wistful thinking get the better of him.

Senku knew he should be relieved. Now he could just quietly nurse his one-sided crush alone. Yet despite himself, he couldn’t shake a twinge of …disappointment?

_ Ugh, how annoying. Okay adolescent body, snap out of it! We’ve got work to do, civilization isn’t going to make itself waiting around for some hormonal love-sick kid to get his shit together. _

This was _Gen _he was talking about; the self-proclaimed world’s most silver-tongued man, master of sleight of hand and deception. How could he possibly harbor something like…_feelings_, towards Senku? He had declared it multiple times himself---_I’m only looking for what I have to gain…_

Suddenly the image of the silver-tongued man lying injured on the ground flashed through Senku’s mind.

_ You **know** that’s not true, _a voice in Senku’s head chimed. It was the sentimental part, he was small and lived in a cupboard under the stairs but sometimes he escaped. _All that talk about only caring for himself is part of his act. He’s proven that ten billion times over by now. You just don’t like thinking about it because then it means you might actually have a chance._

Senku’s brow furrowed. Despite being annoying, Sentimental Senku was actually fairly astute. But, it didn’t change the fact that being in a relationship was an absolutely terrible idea.

_ If you really feel that way, why the hell are you still sleeping in his bed?_

Senku groaned; internally the rest of the Senku egos were grabbing ropes and a gag to tie up Sentimental Senku and throw him back into the cupboard. Still, Sentimental Senku had raised another valid point---waking up every morning face-to-face with one of the most gorgeous people he’d even met was definitely _not_ making this any easier. He needed to extricate himself if he was ever going to go back to normal.

The Scientist combed a hand through his gravity-defying hair. He was currently in the middle of walking to the forest for his daily …er, ritual. Talk about not making things easier--_ jacking off while thinking about him is not helping_.

He sighed as he rounded the corner when he heard a couple of familiar voices. _Speak of the devil..._He knew he shouldn’t, but he crept up to the scene before him. Two figures stood in a clearing—the Mentalist and one of his fangirls. From what Senku could remember, she was one of the revived from the Tsukasa’s old empire. She was a university student-- Ana maybe? She was the little ring leader of this whole fanclub thing. She was confident, smart and capable--Senku supposed by societal standards she was even objectively pretty.

“Ana-chan, what did you want to talk about?” the Mentalist asked.

Senku knew the man well enough to detect feigned innocence when he heard it. _You know damn well, idiot, otherwise you’d suck at your job_.

“Well, Gen-san, I really admire you,” the young woman blushed, “And it’s so fun to talk to you! We had a great conversation about psychology the other day, don’t you think?” She laughed nervously and glanced up at the young man balanced on crutches across from her. He merely nodded politely in agreement waiting for her to finish her thought. _How can he be so damn patient?_ Senku glowered from his place in the bushes. His hands were clenched, annoyed at how long the girl was taking.

“And, well, um…. I like you!” the young woman voice elevated to a mere squeak, “A-and if you feel the same, would you go out with me?”

Senku studied the Mentalist’s expression carefully. Gen hadn’t raised so much as an eyebrow in surprise. _Of course not_. Instead, the ex-performer gave the girl a gentle smile and replied, “I’m sorry Ana-chan. I can’t.”

“Oh, okay….”

_ Alright, you got your answer, now get a move on. Nothing to see here._

“Um…I don’t mean to be rude, but can I ask you why? I mean, don’t you think we get along?”

From his hiding place, Senku balked at the girl’s question. _Jeezus_, _how pushy can you be?_

“We have so much in common. And you seemed like you enjoyed spending time with me too, right?”

The Mentalist didn’t seem annoyed, far from it, he seemed as gentlemanly as ever. “Ana-chan, I do enjoy talking to you. You are an incredibly smart and fun person to be with,” he explained kindly, “But the reason I can’t go out with you is because I already have someone I like.”

“What!” the girl yelped in surprise.

_ WHAT?! _Senku internally screamed in horror.

He didn’t catch the details of the rest of their conversation (something about she’d “find the one eventually” or some shit). He had more important things to think about—namely, the identity of this mystery person--- _Who is it? One of the fangirls? The villagers? _Senku mind raced as he rapidly reviewed the catalogue of current residents of the village._ No, none of that makes sense-- he never gives any of them even a 1 mm of attention. _Abruptly, his mind came screeching to a halt.

_ If it’s not someone I know….could it be someone still petrified?_

The pit of his stomach dropped with the unpleasant epiphany. Yes, that was the only logical conclusion. How did he not see it soon—

“Hello there Senku-chan!”

Senku nearly jumped out of his skin. He had been so preoccupied that he didn’t even hear the boy hobble up to him on crutches. He looked up guiltily at the older boy. As it appeared, Ana had long since left.

“H-Hey dude,” he replied lamely. He stood up from where he had been kneeling behind the bushes. There was nothing to do now but tell the truth. “Yeah, you caught me…I was totally spying. Sorry, that was shitty of me.”

“Not at all Senku-chan. I knew you were there the whole time,” Gen laughed softly.

“Still, I’m sorry. It was a private conversation and all--- I’m sure you didn’t want me to hear all that.”

The Mentalist arched a brow, flashing one of his signature enigmatic smiles. “Hm, I didn’t?” the boy purred.

Senku stared a moment in confusion until it dawned on him. _Fuck, that’s right, he never lets information slip unless it’s intentional. If he knew I was here, why would he go blab about all that just now? Is he going to ask me to help him find them? _

“Er, you mean about liking someone, right?” Senku gritted out reluctantly._ Ugh, I don’t want to hear this right now._

“Yes, exactly,”

“Okay, do you need help or something?”

_ Please say no, please say no, please say no. _He knew he was being selfish; he knew wasn’t _allowed_ to be jealous. If he wasn’t going to act on his own feelings, who was he to stop Gen from doing so?

“I don’t know. Can you?”

Senku sighed heavily, hand on his hip with the other rubbing the back of his neck. He should help him, that’s what a good friend did. And shit, if he wasn’t ever going to be more than friends with the Mentalist, then at least he’d be a good one.

_Let’s just get this over with._

“Yeah, I mean probably. When did you see them last? We can probably figure out where they ended up if we compared their last known location to those of everyone we found. We don’t have any more miracle fluid right now, but we can try to make sure they’re one of the first ones and---” Senku paused after he glanced at the Mentalist. He was looking at him like he was crazy. _Shit, was it actually one of the villagers? The fangirls? _

“Err, or if it’s one of the people here, I don’t know how I can help you with that but---” Senku diverted awkwardly.

“What on earth are you talking about, Senku-chan?”

“You’re asking me to help you with the person you like, right?” Senku asked, getting slightly annoyed. _Goddamnit, I’m trying to help you. Stop being so dense. _“I thought it must have been someone petrified since I can’t imagine you liking anyone here, but I guess I’m wrong. Well, whatever dude, I can’t judge, so if it’s someone here, then---”

“Yes it’s someone here!”

“Okay cool, but like I said, I’m not sure what I can—"

"Standing _right here_!”

Senku froze, not comprehending what he had just heard.

“It’s you!” Gen shouted, exasperated.

“ME?”

“Yes! Who else is here? You!” the Mentalist looked on the verge of pulling out his own hair, “And don’t you dare try to deny that you feel the same!”

“WHAT?” Senku replied somewhat shrilly. _Okay time for plan B--just lie. Deny it all and get the hell out of here. _“T-That’s ridiculous. How would _you_ know?”

“BECAUSE,” the Mentalist really was yelling now, “YOU’VE BEEN SHOUTING MY NAME WHEN YOU CUM FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS!”

Awkward silence stretched out between the two flustered youths; the Scientist gaping speechlessly while the Mentalist took a moment to calm down.

“Look, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have followed you,” Gen finally said, now his turn to apologize.

“But you didn’t seem well…I was really worried! That’s the whole reason I was staying with you to begin with, remember? I followed you later that first week and---” the older boy paused before continuing, “And, when I found out, it made me really happy. The truth is, I’ve been in love with you since before we even met, Senku-chan.”

The Mentalist was blushing furiously but he was looking Senku straight in the eye. He wasn’t going to back down, not from this.

_ Well, shit._

There was no way Senku could lie now. Not with a confession like that.

“Fuck, dude,” Senku finally said, “Okay, yeah, fine, you got me.”

“Does that mean…?”

“That I want to go out? Honestly it sounds like an absolutely awful idea….” Senku replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He glanced at the Mentalist who remained quiet, eyes slightly downcast.

“….but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it also sounds pretty fucking fantastic too,” Senku finally admitted out loud, more to himself than anyone.

"I don’t know though, man" Senku continued before the other could reply, "This whole thing totally freaks me out. I’m not good at this shit. I’m just going to fuck everything up, and …”

“It scares me too,” the Mentalist interrupted quietly, his gaze meeting the young Scientist’s, “but isn’t that what relationships are all about? They’re terrifying, and fantastic, and confusing, and stressful, and …”

“Exhilarating?”

“Yes,” the Mentalist smiled, “At least I think so. I’ve never done any of this either.”

Senku couldn’t help but laugh.

“After that whole god damn speech, you’re just a noob too?”

“Ten billion percent a beginner”

At that, the two just collapsed on the ground and laughed. As the giggles subsided, Senku wiped a tear from his eye and looked at the other boy. _He looks so damn perfect when he smiles like that_. Impulsively, he reached up to touch the other man’s cheek. Senku was surprised by his own audacity but Gen placed his hand over Senku’s, leaning slightly into the touch. Cautiously, Senku inched closer, heart pounding in his ears. He wanted to kiss him but shit, he had no fucking clue what to do.

Sensing his intention, Gen smoothly closed the rest of the distance. Senku shut his eyes instinctively allowing his lips to be caught by the other man. _It’s soft._ All his other thoughts faded into the background as a soothing warmth blossomed in his chest. It was a simple, chaste kiss. Still, when the older boy pulled away Senku felt breathless. He opened his eyes to meet an unreadable expression on the Mentalist’s face—he had never seen his eyes look so soft or kind. But, given the Mentalist’s confession, perhaps he had always looked at him that way?

They moved in for a second kiss, this time a little deeper. Senku opened his mouth a little more; an experimental tongue flickered out. He could taste more of the other boy now, a hint of honey lingering somewhere._ Does he always smell this nice?_ His thoughts drifted somewhere in the background. Senku shifted closer to the other young man. As the kiss continued, he felt the initial tension in his muscles begin to melt away. His hands, which he suddenly realized were gripping the front of Gen’s robe, relaxed. When the kiss broke and he pulled away, he felt dazed, head slightly spinning.

“Let’s go home?” the injured boy suggested after a moment. He hopped up on his crutches, somehow still able to offer his hand to Senku (more of a gesture really, but gentlemanly nonetheless).

Senku looked up. The Mentalist looked calm as ever despite a subtle flush to his face. The Scientist wondered if the other man felt as strange and giddy as he did.

“Yeah,” he accepted the offered hand, careful not to pull the injured boy down. He stood up and looked at the other boy’s figure bathed in the setting sun as it filtered through the forest trees.

This really was exhilarating.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the words of encouragement, everyone! For a long time, I've always enjoyed reading other people's work. It makes me glad if people can enjoy this as well. I'm sorry if I don't know how to respond to comments. I am new to writing fanfiction, so I wasn't sure what to do, but I read them all--thank you!
> 
> As I was writing chapter 6, I realized that maybe I should split it up so that anyone who didn't want to read explicit things could skip it. I didn't know exactly where I was going to go with the story ahead of time. I'm really sorry! It's a rookie mistake I guess. Anyways, I edited the number of chapters as well as the rating since the next chapter (chapter 7) is going to be explicit.

With the late afternoon drawing to a close, the two started their way home in silence. The Scientist walked awkwardly off to the side while the Mentalist crutched along slowly. Senku stole a nervous glance at the magician’s delicate fingers grasping the wooden crutches. Even though Senku had not even 1 millimeter of interest in something as absurdly sentimental as holding hands, he did feel _strange_ that their intense physical contact from a moment ago had been abruptly cut short. He tore his gaze away from the magician’s deft hands and forced his eyes straight ahead.

“Now, now Senku-chan, don’t go bolting out on me,” the Mentalist laughed.

“I-I’m not!” Senku replied indignantly.

Gen laughed airily, “Really? Because you look like someone just died rather than confessed.”

Senku stopped to scowl at the magician and was surprised to find that despite the Mentalist’s teasing, there was a cloud of worry behind the magician’s eyes. Sensing he had been caught, Gen paused as well.

“Er, well seriously though,” Gen said slowly, balanced on his crutches, “Are you sure about this?”

The Scientist’s brows furrowed, a quizzical look on his face.

“That you want to be dating?” Gen elaborated, pausing a moment before finally admitting “You seem really skittish right now.”

“I do?” Senku replied somewhat shocked. He knew he was nervous but didn’t realize it was so obvious. “Oh, sorry, I guess I’m still processing everything. But I meant what I said---I want to be with you.”

“Good,” Gen smiled, looking relieved.

Senku instantly felt guilty that he had given the other man any cause for worry.

“Everyone thinks we’re dating already anyways,” the Scientist continued, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Well, now they can be right,” Gen laughed.

They resumed their walk in silence again. Several minutes passed until Gen started again, voice slightly softer than normal “You know…If staying over at my place feels weird, you can always go back to your place. I know it’s a little different now, if we’re dating”

“Oh, um,” the Scientist fumbled. He hadn’t even thought of that.

“But you can stay too!” the Mentalist added hastily, “Don’t get me wrong, I really like having you over. I crashed at your place forever. But I don’t want you to feel pressured to stay with me all the time.”

“No, it’s okay” the Scientist continued slowly, “At least, I think so? The village is pretty small. It’s not like we don’t already spend all our time together anyways.” The Scientist took a moment to study the intent look on the other man’s face. For being the world’s smoothest talker, the other man looked unsure of himself.

Another surge of guilt grabbed hold of him. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and to his surprise, he acted upon the instinct without hesitation. He stepped forward, gently taking the magician’s face in his hands. Swiftly, simply, he kissed those soft lips from which so many silver words had flown. He drew back to observe the magician’s look of complete surprise.

“I’ll tell you if anything stops being okay. You do the same, alright?”

Getting over the initial shock, Gen blushed, “Okay, I will”

Senku relaxed upon seeing the Mentalist’s warm smile. _Now, that’s better. _Maybe things would be okay after all. 

****************************************************

They arrived home and the rest of the evening was spent carrying out their usual nightly routine. They had dinner while discussing issues at hand with Perseus’ construction. Afterwards they tidied up the hut and got ready for bed. 

Unfortunately, in that time, Senku’s anxiety was starting to creep back. Outwardly everything was the same as always, but inwardly everything still felt so _different_.

_ What am I even doing? _

He hated the feeling of not know what to do, how to act, or what to say. What exactly were you supposed to do in a relationship, anyways?

Gen laid down on the pile of furs and blankets that served as their bed. He gestured for Senku to join him and the Scientist obliged, sitting cross-legged on the bed.

“Are you okay?” Gen finally ventured, voice wavering almost imperceptably.

“Huh? Y-yeah, I’m fine!” Senku replied quickly. _Shit, shit, shit. I’m so fucking awkward. _He hated how the Mentalist might misinterpret the Scientist’s ineptitude for second-thoughts or misgivings when that was the farthest thing from the truth.

Gen smiled patiently at the Scientist, clearly unconvinced.

“Sorry,” Senku continued, groping for the right words “everything really is fine though. It’s just--all of this feels _strange_. I don’t know what to do and I feel like I’m already fucking things up,” he threw his hands in the air.

“Don’t apologize. I feel that way too,” the other man replied gently, “Lie down with me?” He lifted the covers motioning for him to join him. Senku settled down to the left of the other man, rolling onto his side to face him. Gently, the Mentalist took his right hand and laced it with the science prodigy’s. Gingerly, Gen leaned his forehead closer to barely touch Senku’s. They stayed that way for a little while before he broke the silence.

“Hey,” Gen whispered, “I love you.”

“I...” Senku stuttered, hesitating. It finally hit him that he hadn’t actually said it during their earlier conversation--but he really meant to! He didn’t know a lot about relationships, but at least he knew this was important.

“I love you too,” he finished. He leaned back to study the other boy’s expression.

Gen gaped, apparently stunned. Then a smile brightened the Mentalist’s face as he pulled the Scientist closer. “Can I kiss you?” Gen whispered, his breath tickling Senku’s cheek.

“Yes,” Senku replied, closing the rest of the distance himself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, since my original rating of the story was mature, I want to warn everyone that this one is explicit. You can skip since it has no bearing to the story and you can just go to chapter 8.

Senku’s first impression was that kissing lying down was vastly different than sitting up. But though difficult at first, gradually a rhythm began to build. Abruptly, Gen’s kisses flew to the young village chief’s neck and down to his collarbone. The Scientist shuddered with a moan. He unlaced his finger's from the magician's hands and smoothed his palm experimentally down Gen’s torso to his lower abdomen.

With a hum of approval, Gen pulled the small of Senku’s back closer, their bodies almost flush. Senku was now vividly aware that his partner was hard. Of course he was no better, heat flooding his entire body pooling in his groin.

He needed to be closer---_much closer._

Senku swung his leg over other man’s, shifting his leverage. _Let’s see how you like this. _He rolled his hips forward experimentally earning a gasp from the other man. Something deeply primal in Senku stirred; he would almost feel smug but the Mentalist suddenly nipped at the Scientist’s sensitive collarbone. Senku breaths shallowed as the Mentalist started to suck at the spot.

_ Fuck, that feels good, _Senku thought thickly, all other thoughts flying away. He just barely registered his own ragged breathing as he writhed under the magician’s attentive mouth. He could only imagine what kind of evil expression Gen was wearing. As good as he felt though, Senku still desperately wanted to hear his partner's moans again too. Mindful of his partner’s broken leg, he swiftly rolled to straddle the stage performer. The room was just barely illuminated in last rays of dusk as Senku paused to survey the scene beneath him. With bicolored hair swept in all directions, lips swollen, cheeks faintly tinted and pupils blown, the Mentalist looked _wrecked_. An electric thrill rippled down Senku’s spine with the realization that he was the one responsible. _I did that. _

Senku flashed a crooked smile before leaning down to his partner’s ear; he explored the tip of the cartilage with his tongue, lightly grazing it with his teeth. Gen was now panting beneath him. _Fascinating_. _His ears are sensitive, what else—_

The Mentalist had pulled the Scientist's hips down, grinding his hot bulge against Senku's arousal. Senku saw stars. Lust building, Senku returned to the Magician’s sinful mouth. Their tongues mingled in between hot, wet breaths. 

_ Fuck. _Maybe this was going too fast, but suddenly Senku desperately wanted _more_.

“Do you,” he gasped between kisses, “Um, can we..?”

“Strip?” the Mentalist finished, slightly breathless. 

“Fuck yes,” Senku growled hungrily.

They fumbled in the dark, clumsily pulling at ties and strings. Somehow, in the process, they ended up flipping positions, the lithe magician now on top. It was a little difficult with his cast, but he positioned it to the side as he straddled the young Scientist. Senku finally had a full view of the man and he gasped. Gen’s pale skin bathed in moonlight looked otherworldly---beautiful. The magician’s swollen member was also prominently in view, a drop of precum beading at his tip. Gen placed his palm on Senku’s torso, dragged it lower until he was just above Senku’s cock.

“Can I?” the magician asked, voice husky.

“Yes”

The magician smiled and leaned in for a kiss while reaching down for Senku’s throbbing cock. Electricity shot through Senku’s body. This felt _nothing_ like when he touched himself. His shaft was now completely encircled by the slim yet firm fingers of the man above him. Gen started rubbing Senku’s slit with the pad of his thumb and Senku groaned with pleasure. Senku placed his hand on his partner’s hip and pulled him lower until their cocks were flush to each other. _Shit. _The searing heat of the other man’s member on his own was almost enough to send him over. Senku took a shaky deep breath; he slowly dragged his hand over the both of them. The man on top had already let go, requiring his arms to keep balanced. Senku began to pump his fist over their cocks. Gen’s body shook. With a breathy moan, he started shallowly thrusting into his partner’s palm.

Their movements sped up, ragged breaths filling the quiet night air. Senku’s left hand gripped his partner’s hipbone hard with bruising strength, adding to the magician's thrusting. He was dimly aware he was murmuring something, “..._yes, fuck Gen, more, fuck, ”_ a litany of curses tumbling from his mouth_._ Senku felt a familiar tightening in his lower groin; he was _so close, so fucking close._ Movements became harsher, more erratic when suddenly, his whole body clenched. A flash of white; he felt searing heat spill out into his palm. From above, the Mentalist came undone a moment later with a strangled cry, crumpling into a boneless heap on top of him. They lay there a minute, chests heaving.

Gen finally rolled off and onto his back, still breathing hard.

“I’m dead” Gen laughed, finally.

Senku laughed, sidling closer to rest his head on the Mentalist’s shoulder.

“You’re definitely still alive,” he drawled lazily into the Mentalist’s ear.

“For now,” Gen laughed and pulled the other man into another light kiss.

Senku laughed but suddenly felt exhausted. His eyelids felt heavy---he would just close his eyes a moment …


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, it's finished! Thank you everyone for your kind words.

The early morning’s first rays found the exhausted pair still tangled in each other. Senku got up first, grabbing a washcloth and basin to clean up themselves up.

“You’re lucky you have a high collar” Senku opined into the mirror. He examined the purple bruises blossoming on his neck—his own usual popped collar wasn’t going to hide these at all. The magician came up behind him, encircling his arms around Senku’s abdomen and burying his nose into his neck.

“Hmmm,” the Mentalist murmured sleepily, “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?” he said while kissing the already bruised skin, not hard, but enough to send shivers down the Scientist’s spine.

“Yeah, yeah” Senku replied, not unkindly. He reached back pulling Gen into a deep kiss.

After a moment, he broke away, “Okay, enough fooling around. We’ve got work to do today, you know.”

“Of course” the Mentalist sighed dramatically, “It wouldn’t be the Kingdom of Science without endless toil and tedious work.” Suddenly, the magician’s pretend grimace was replaced with a knowing smiled; he leaned close to Senku’s ear to whisper “but tonight you’ll work even harder, Senku-chan.”

Senku smirked at that remark pushing the other man off his shoulder gently, “Let’s get through the day first, Mentalist.”

****************************************************

Later that day in the lab, Senku was in the middle of combining components of a modified fuel he was working on for the tank. Chrome came up to Senku’s desk holding a few different specimens to review when he made a sudden observation.

“You know, in hindsight,” Chrome said contemplatively “there was no way y’all were having sex in the observatory without me noticing. I could hear you all the way from across the bridge last night”

The small fire that ensued in the science team’s lab was put out quickly.

****************************************************

Senku’s soul belonged to Science. But the rest belonged to Asagiri Gen.


End file.
